


Star Light, Star Bright

by mezzoforte



Category: IDOLiSH7 (Anime), IDOLiSH7 (Video Game)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-07
Updated: 2021-01-07
Packaged: 2021-03-18 16:47:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,150
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28621287
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mezzoforte/pseuds/mezzoforte
Summary: Summer nights spent stargazing together, laying side by side in the grass. As they watch the night sky, Iori thinks; Riku shines brighter than any star in the sky.
Relationships: Izumi Iori/Nanase Riku
Kudos: 21
Collections: Stars Within Our Eyes





	Star Light, Star Bright

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Ioriku Day! This work is for the Ioriku zine: [Stars Within Our Eyes](https://twitter.com/iorikuzine)
> 
> Kudos, comments, and feedback appreciated.

The Tanabata festival, also known as the star festival, was over. The night had been spent together with family and friends and then the next couple of days had been busy, as Riku’s birthday had been just two days later. While Tokyo had a lot of light pollution, at this time of the night, most of the lights were out and the stars were clear in the sky. Riku tiptoed out of his own bedroom and across the hall so he could knock on Iori’s door. There wasn’t any response, at least not that Riku could hear and the redhead decided to open it so that he could see if Iori was asleep. Which was a reasonable thing considering just how late it was. “Ne, Iori?” He whispered as he tiptoed into the room and he looked around the room that was dimly lit from the moonlight filtering through the window. 

He heard Iori groan and saw him turn over on the bed before Iori pushed himself up on his elbow and squinted at him. “Nanase-san, do you have any idea what time it is?” Iori asked with a grumpy tone of voice, considering he’d been woken up by his center. 

“Yes but, Iori! You said you’d go look at the stars with me. And the night sky is really clear right now.” He told Iori with a pout that put even puppies to shame. He wanted to spend the evening outside with Iori, watching stars and seeing if he could see any shooting stars to make a wish on. 

It wasn’t cold, the July weather meant it was warm and he could breathe without issue. So it wasn’t like Iori could use that as an excuse, right? That’s what Riku was banking on, at any rate. 

Iori’s jaw clenched as he tried to think of a way to get out of going outside with his center. But, those eyes were a weak point. That face of his… 

“Nanase-san, will you allow me to go back to sleep if I say no?” Iori asked, clearly exasperated. Riku didn’t look even the smallest bit remorseful over having woken him up in the first place. 

“Well… I would bu-” 

“Then I’d like to say no.” 

“Mou, Iori…” The redhead whined and let his shoulders slump forward with a sigh of defeat. 

Somehow it was worse for Iori to see Riku like this than to get up. He didn’t have school in the morning, nor did he have work so he found himself caving in. “Nanase-san,” he began as he pushed his duvet back and then climbed out of his bed and scrambled down the ladder. “Go grab a spare sheet from the closet. There should be a spare top sheet on the second shelf. Please give me a moment to change.” 

The redhead perked up immediately and grinned as he hurried over to the closet off to one side of the room. “Thank you, Iori!” He enthusiastically cheered. 

“Shh, you’ll wake everyone else up too if you’re loud.” 

“Oops!” Riku looked over his shoulder at Iori and then looked back towards the closet, the door was opened and he reached up to tug a sheet free from a shelf up higher than the one Iori had described and it was like an avalanche of bedding. 

Iori sighed heavily, he should have expected as much. 

“Sorry.” Riku awkwardly chuckled and then stuffed most of the bedding back where it belonged albeit not as tidy as it was when he’d found it. 

“Please just go lay it out in the garden. I’ll be with you shortly.” Iori dismissed the older boy. 

“Yessir!” Riku said and gave a salute with his right hand before he ran out of the room. 

“And don’t run!” Iori reprimanded the retreating figure. 

【☆】★【☆】★【☆】★【☆】★【☆】

Riku had spread out the sheet along the grass in the back garden while he waited for Iori to come outside and join him. He sat down on the sheet, his hands were flat on the cotton, fingers splayed out as his legs stretched out in front of him and his head tipped back as his gaze got lost in the stars. 

He was off in his own head, thoughts filled with memories and stories alike. Riku hadn’t even processed the sound of the door closing behind him or the shuffle of feet along the grass as Iori came outside and sat beside him. 

Iori lounged back, his knees bent, feet flat on the ground as he stared up comfortably at the sky. His gaze slowly moved to the side however and instead of watching the stars in the night sky, he found himself watching his own personal star. When had he begun to think of Riku as his own personal star? He’d said it before, that he would make Riku a star but… When had he started to see him in that sort of light? 

It was true, though… Riku was a source of brightness that lit up the world around him. He wasn’t just the stars, he was the sun. The star at the very centre that brought warmth, light, and life to those around him. 

Iori pushed the thought to the back of his mind and turned his gaze away just as Riku started to look at him, his cheeks tinted pink as the redhead moved from sitting down to laying on the ground. 

Riku had caught Iori looking at him, out of the corner of his eye and as he turned to look at him, he saw the blush on his face and he couldn’t help the giddy feeling that welled up within him. His heart skipped a beat and an unabashed smile lit up his face as he stared up into the night sky. “Hey, Iori?” The redhead asked with his head tipped to the side. 

“What is it, Nanase-san?” Iori answered, ever so slightly wary. 

“Did you know that sunlight takes eight minutes and twenty seconds to reach the Earth?” Riku asked. 

“Yes, I’ve learned that.” Iori said, not sure what Riku’s point was. 

“And did you know that light from Polaris takes over 300 years to reach us?” Riku attempted. 

“The North Star does indeed take over 300 years for its light to reach us.” Iori said slowly. 

“I don’t know where I was going with that.” Riku admitted after a moment’s silence. 

“Nanase-san, I promised I’d make you a star…” Iori said after another couple of minutes of silence. 

“Whether it takes us as much time as the sun’s light takes to reach us or the farthest we can see…” He continued as he felt eyes on him. 

Riku’s eyes widened as he beamed at Iori and all but flung himself at him and hugged the younger boy tightly, face burying itself in Iori’s neck. “Thanks, Iori. I’ll make sure I bring all our friends into the starlight too.”


End file.
